Pregnancy Counseling Brighton MA

Local resource for pregnancy counseling services in Brighton. Includes detailed information on local businesses that provide access to pregnancy testing, abortion services, fetal development education, and parenting information, as well as advice and content on pregnancy and parenting.

Pregnancy Planning

Pregnancy Planning

If you are planning to become pregnant, taking certain steps can help reduce risks to both you and your baby. Proper health before deciding to become pregnant is almost as important as maintaining a healthy body during pregnancy.

The first few weeks in utero are crucial in fetus development. However, many women do not realize they are pregnant until several weeks after conception. Planning ahead, and taking care of yourself before becoming pregnant, is the best thing you can do for you and your baby.

One of the most important steps in helping you prepare for a healthy pregnancy is a pre-pregnancy examination (often called preconception care) performed by your physician before you become pregnant.

A preconception visit includes assessments of a woman’s overall health and identification of potential risk factors that may complicate pregnancy. Women can receive advice and treatment for medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease that may be changed by pregnancy. By preparing in advance, you can be your healthiest before becoming pregnant.

What does a preconception examination include? A preconception examination may include any/all of the following:

family medical history - an assessment of the maternal and paternal medical history, to determine if any family member has had any medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or mental retardation.

genetic testing - an assessment of any possible genetic disorders, as several genetic disorders may be inherited, such as sickle cell anemia (a serious blood disorder that primarily occurs in African-Americans) or Tay-Sachs disease (a nerve breakdown disorder marked by progressive mental and physical retardation that primarily occurs in individuals of Eastern European Jewish origin). Some genetic disorders can be detected by blood tests before pregnancy.

personal medical history - an assessment of the woman's personal medical history to determine if there are any medical conditions that may require special care during pregnancy, such as epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, and/or allergies; previous surgeries; past pregnancies, including the number, length of pregnancy (gestation), previous pregnancy complications, and pregnancy losses.

vaccination status - an assessment of current vaccinations/inoculations to assess a woman's immunity to rubella (German measles), in particular, since contracting this disease during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or birth defects. If a woman is not immune, a vaccine may be given at least three months before conception to provide immunity.

infection screening - to determine if a woman has a sexually transmitted infection, urinary tract infection, or other infection that could be harmful to the fetus and to the mother.

Preparing Emotionally

For both women and men, the arrival of a new baby can be an exhausting time. The depth of love you feel, whether it’s your first or fifth child can often be just as intense as your feeling of protectiveness or fear. Pregnancy brings so many complex emotions to the surface that need to be addressed. As you prepare to become parents, allow yourself the time to address these feeling and discuss them with your partner. It’s easy to deny that you have such strong feelings and suppress rather than address them but as the articles below will show you, this is not the best way to deal with your feelings. Preparing emotionally for the demands of parenthood is a very important part of your pregnancy that is often neglected but can save a great deal of heartache later on..

Finding Out The Baby's Sex Some couples are eager to know the sex of their baby, while others want to wait and be surprised. ...

Interviewing Doctors And Pediatricians As soon as you find out that you're pregnant, you need to start thinking about your prenatal care and...

Ways To Reduce Stress While Pregnant While you can't eliminate all of the stress you may feel during pregnancy, you can take steps to increase ...

Your Partner's Role In Pregnancy And Birth Sharing your pregnancy with your partner can be a wonderful bonding experience, as you both prepare...

Preparing For Pregnancy

How To Prepare Your Body and Mind for Pregnancy

You need to be physically and mentally fit to prepare yourself for pregnancy. You need to have a healthy lifestyle, with good eating habits and the emotional maturity to commit to the demands of parenthood.

Before you conceive, you need to make your doctor or midwife aware of these and other health conditions: arthritis, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Also, if you have an inherited condition that could be passed down to your child such as sickle cell anemia, you need to let your health care professional know. Usually in this case you'll be referred to a genetic counselor. Chronic conditions such as frequent urinary tract infections or asthma need to be investigated by your doctor or midwife before you conceive.

Stop Smoking For Your Health

Smoking is dangerous for your fetus, and every cigarette does damage. Research has shown that women who smoke throughout their pregnancy have a higher chance of having a baby with low birth weight. Your risk of suffering a miscarriage, having a baby with a cleft lip or cleft palate, or your baby dying of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is much higher. It's better if you quit smoking before you get pregnant, rather than waiting until you've conceived.

Vitamins and Supplements

At least 400 micrograms of folic acid is recommended each day for women who are trying to conceive or have become pregnant. Studies have shown that folic acid can greatly reduce the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. Most doctors recommend taking a supplement at least two months before you conceive and a prenatal vitamin as soon as you know you're pregnant.

Eat A Balanced Diet

Eating a healthy diet is important, and you should focus on foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats and fish. Try to cut out artificial sweeteners, high fat foods, and sugary snacks from your meals befor...